Sie Sind Schön
by Olive Hue
Summary: Kurt's worst nightmare becomes a reality, and Kitty has to make him see that he's not alone. Update: COMPLETE!!!
1. Eine

A/N: I've never written an X-Men fanfiction before. And I've read very few of them. Let's get that out into the open now. I like to split the crowd in half right at the top. *waves goodbye to the people who aren't bothering to read this* To those who decided to give my story a chance, thank ye kindly! I was just thinking the other day, what with 'X-2' just coming out, and it being all awesome and stuff, it would be fun to write an X-Men fanfiction. And since I know more about 'X-Men: Evolution' than the comics or the original cartoon, I decided I'd better stick to what I know. AND since Nightcrawler has always been my favorite character - even before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon after the movie - why not make it about him? And so, here I am. This is where you came in. I sincerely hope you like my story, and reviews are welcome. Flames will be used to light my scented candles. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kurt Wagner(shucks), Kitty Pryde, Evan Daniels, Logan, Professor Xavier, or any of the X-Men. Maybe someday... Okay, no.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sie Sind Schön  
  
an 'X-Men: Evolution' fanfiction  
  
by Wakizashi  
  
Chapter One  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Catherine Pryde had never known anything to get him down. He always had that goofy grin plastered on his face, twenty-four seven. When things were going horribly, and no one - not even the professor - was sure if they were going to be okay, he was always the one who brought their hopes up again with a bright smile and an encouraging word. And even though he had every reason to be depressed, maybe even more than the others, he wasn't.  
  
He was happy. He was content. He was Kurt.  
  
Up until Wednesday.  
  
Kitty still couldn't believe it had happened. She kept running it through her head, over and over again, but it all felt like some kind of terrible dream. But no nightmare, no matter how vivid, could have been as big a catastrophe as the events of the day before yesterday.  
  
She wondered if Kurt would ever be the same.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kitty threw out her alarm clock long ago. In all honesty, she couldn't even remember the last time she had needed one. After all, who would want to be jolted from sleep by that harsh buzzing noise - you know the one - when they could wake to the pleasant sound of some German kid yelling at them to get up?  
  
Yeah, you made the right choice.  
  
"Keetyyyy!!"  
  
And Kitty's usual response? "Bite meee!!"  
  
Not especially polite, she realized, but this ritual had been performed every single morning for years. And, as every morning before, she rolled over in bed with a tired groan, hoping her mutant alarm clock wouldn't take her suggestion seriously. She had no doubt that those sharp little fangs of his could do some damage.  
  
With her blankets pulled tightly over her head, Kitty couldn't hear the soft implosion of air that every mutant at Xavier's mansion had come to describe as simply "bamf". A shadow passed over the bed, and with a swift motion her covers were yanked back by a three-fingered hand.  
  
"Guten Morgen, mein Kätzchen!" said Kurt Wagner in his thick German accent, smiling cheerfully. "Get up and see what a beautiful day it is!"  
  
Kitty blinked against the sudden light. "Kuuuuuurt," she whined, covering her face with her pillow. "First of all, your nickname for me isn't very creative. And second, do you really have to teleport into my room? What if I was already up and like, naked or something?"  
  
Grinning as he pulled the pillow out of her hands, Kurt shrugged. "In that case, I would probably be dead right now."  
  
"Then you should count your blessings," she muttered irritably. Sitting up in her bed, she looked around the room, her blue eyes unfocused. "Where's Rogue?" she asked.  
  
Kurt shook his head at her in disapproval, his shoulder-length hair flopping into his eyes. At the moment he was not wearing his image inducer, which Professor Xavier had given him to alter his... unique appearance. Kurt Wagner was a second-generation mutant, which meant he looked quite different from the rest of humanity, and even the rest of mutantkind. Covered from head to toe with blue fur, he sported yellow eyes, pointed ears, and a long, prehensile tail. With his holographic image inducer - designed to look like an ordinary digital watch - turned on, he looked like any other kid. That is, if all kids made the Star Trek sign with their hands all the time.  
  
At the mansion, however, he was free to go about his life without having to hide his true self. As he was this particular morning. "Your roommate is already downstairs eating breakfast," he said in answer to Kitty's inquiry. "You know you've slept in, Keety, when Rogue wakes up before you."  
  
Despite her annoyance at being pulled from blissful sleep, Kitty laughed. "You don't have to tell me." Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she stood up in her tank top and flannel pants. She didn't care if Kurt saw her in her pajamas; God knew he had seen her in less, and paid dearly for it. She stretched and looked out the window. "Well, you were right, O Fuzzy One. It *is* a very nice day."  
  
He came to stand next to her, his long, spade-tipped tail lashing about happily. "I hope we get to play football today in P.E. That would be great!" he said excitedly. Then he paused. "Except sometimes I trip my teammates with my tail, and they don't know what happened."  
  
Kitty smirked. "Everyone except Pietro."  
  
"Ja... But it wasn't my fault." Kurt shot her a mischievous grin. "It sometimes has a mind of its own."  
  
As if in answer, the tip of his tail came up and twisted around Kitty's wrist. She almost gasped, but the feel of his warm, soft fur was not unpleasant. It actually felt kind of nice. Blushing at the thought, she laughed nervously and tried to tug her wrist gently out of its grasp. "Come on, let go," she chided good-naturedly.  
  
Instead, the tail stubbornly tightened its grip, sliding lazily up her arm. Her blush deepened, and Kurt gave a hard yank on it until it let go. "Stupid thing," he muttered. "Erbärmlich - err, sorry about that. It doesn't like listening to me."  
  
"I can tell," Kitty replied, smiling crookedly. A short awkward silence followed, during which a drop of a pin could have been heard. Finally she cleared her throat. "Well. I should go, like, take a shower and get dressed and all that stuff. See you down at breakfast, Kurt."  
  
He nodded quickly. "Ja, see you, Keety. I'll save you a pancake." Backing up a couple of steps, he teleported out of her room with a puff of blue smoke. Suppressing a cough, Kitty began pulling clothes out of her dresser drawers, wondering what in blazes had just happened. She could still feel Kurt's velvety fur against her skin.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kitty hated to admit it, but the first time she had seen Kurt - the *real* Kurt - she had been scared out of her mind. She felt bad about it, because underneath his sunny attitude, he was extremely sensitive about the way he looked. Yes, she had been frightened at first, but that was years ago. Now she didn't mind his fur, his three-fingered hands, or his tail. In fact, in a weird way, he was actually sort of cute.  
  
Not that she would ever get a crush on him.  
  
Or at least, that was what she was telling herself as she held her breath and phased through the floor, landing in the ground level of the mansion. For a long time she had been completely nuts about Lance Alvers, or as he was known as in the Brotherhood, Avalanche. But he didn't care about her; she was on the professor's side, and not worth getting to know.  
  
Kurt, on the other hand, had been nothing but a total sweetheart ever since she had met him. She couldn't imagine anyone not liking him; he was nice to everyone he met. Sure, he ate like a total pig and couldn't sing very well, but everyone had their faults. When it came right down to it, he was a pretty great guy.  
  
And his fur was really soft. *Why can't I stop thinking about that?* she thought in frustration. Shaking her head, she made her way to the dining room.  
  
As she feared, the only empty seat was next to the subject of her thoughts. *Oh, great. He better have forgotten about that awkward moment in my room.* Holding back a sigh, she came around to the other side of the table. As Kurt noticed her arrival, he pulled her chair out with that wayward tail of his. "Thanks," she said ineptly as she sat down.  
  
"Good morning, Kitty," greeted Jean Grey.  
  
A chorus of other voices bid her good morning around the table, and Rogue sent an amused smirk in her direction. "Well well, look who finally decided ta grace us with her presence," she remarked in her Southern belle voice. "Ah take it yer 'alarm clock' didn't go off when it was s'posed to?"  
  
Next to Kitty, Kurt grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I had a little trouble getting up myself."  
  
"That's a shocker, Elf," Logan said dryly, spearing a sausage link with his fork. "Usually you're up before any of us, raidin' the fridge."  
  
Knowing laughs issued through the room, and Kurt hid his embarrassment by raising his juice glass to his lips. Making a face at Logan, Kitty crossed her arms over her chest. "Very funny. Know what else is shocking this morning? The fact that you're actually using utensils today."  
  
Everyone laughed again, and Logan's adamantium claws came out with a threatening swiftness. Kitty smiled sweetly at him, and he just glared at her. Both Jean and Ororo Munroe shot her disapproving looks, but Kurt did a spit take with his orange juice and burst out laughing.  
  
"Whoa there, keep it in the mouth, Fuzzy Dude," snickered Evan Daniels, Ororo's nephew.  
  
Wiping a napkin over his face with one hand, Kurt gave Kitty a low five under the table with the other. Unable to help herself, she grinned and winked at him. *What am I doing!?* she screamed inside her head. *I can't believe I just did that! I am *so* not flirting with Kurt!*  
  
In spite of her best efforts, her gaze met his. His eyes were such an oddly beautiful shade of golden yellow, with striations of orange that she had never really noticed before. There was an immeasurable warmth in those golden orbs, and she was riveted. And then, as quickly as the moment had started, it was over. Kurt broke eye contact and began saying something to Bobby Drake.  
  
Pushing her brown hair self-consciously behind her ear, Kitty focused on her plate. What in the heck was wrong with her? Why was Kurt suddenly so fascinating? He was the same Kurt he had been the day before. There was nothing different about him today. So why was he making her all weird and nervous?  
  
She expelled the breath she had been holding, trying to concentrate on her breakfast, her classes today, the training she would be doing after school; basically everything other than Kurt. Which wasn't easy, considering he was sitting less than two feet away from her. And also considering they were in almost every single class together.  
  
She certainly hoped this was a phase, because it was driving her crazy.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ah, done with chapter one! Is it bad? Tell me your honest opinion. In fact, there's a review button down there at the button of the screen for doing just that.  
  
Wakizashi  
  
tricksparrow@hotmail.com 


	2. Zwei

A/N: Chapter two! Thanks for all the reviews, you fabulous people, you. I won't bore you with a lot of unnecessary author's commentary, but I will warn you that these chapters aren't very long. Thought I'd let you know. And now, read on!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Marvel's the one with all the money.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sie Sind Schön  
  
an 'X-Men: Evolution' fanfiction  
  
by Wakizashi  
  
Chapter Two  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Yo! Hey, Kitty, hold up!"  
  
Shoving her locker closed, Kitty turned to see Evan running down the hall toward her. It was almost third period, and the bell was about to ring. Thankfully, they were both on their way to gym class. As Evan caught up with her, they fell into step beside each other. "What's up?" she asked him.  
  
"That's what I was gonna ask you," he replied. Kitty looked up at him in confusion, and he continued. "You've been blowing off Kurt all day. First in science when he asked you for help, then at lunch you walked right past him after he saved you a seat. You mad at him or something?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head. "No, Kurt's never done anything to make me mad." She paused. "Well, not *really* mad. I know I should apologize, and I will. I'm just... having a weird day."  
  
Evan shrugged. "Fair enough," he said. They reached the locker rooms, and he waved to her. "See you in the gym."  
  
Kitty wanted to pull her hair out. Was it so obvious that she was trying to avoid Kurt? She wasn't trying to be a jerk to him, but just being near him was making her feel... tingly. Yeah, that was a good word. It was like Kurt was a rubber balloon, and the closer he got to her, the more the hairs of her skin stood on end. But just because she was suffering from an inexplicable, insane crush, it was no reason to be rude to him.  
  
As she changed into her gym clothes in the girls' locker room, she decided she had to apologize to him for her nasty behavior. He didn't deserve such treatment.  
  
Pulling on her sneakers, she tightened her ponytail and headed into the gym. A few other students were already in there, including some of the mutants from the mansion. Remy LeBeau, that charming Cajun Rogue was so crazy about, was talking to Evan, and Bobby was shooting hoops with Kurt, waiting for the teacher show up. Evan caught Kitty's eye, and he gestured with his head at the German boy. She nodded and made a shooing motion with her hand.  
  
For a while she just watched Kurt in action. He dodged Bobby's blocks with such speed and effortless grace, and he looked good doing it. His gym shorts were baggy, but he was wearing a tank top that revealed his thin but muscular arms. Like every other day at school, his image inducer was turned on, and instead of blue fur, he was five feet seven inches of pale skin, brown eyes, and dark hair that he brushed out of his face to keep his eye on the ball.  
  
Kitty's chest tightened as she watched him. She decided that if she was going to have a stupid crush, she could do a lot worse than Kurt Wagner.  
  
Distractedly, she noticed that the basketball was flying toward her. Her shoes squeaked on the polished floor as she made an attempt to get out of the way, and then all she saw was orange as the ball collided with her forehead. She felt her eyes cross, and she hit the floor with a thud.  
  
Blinking her eyes back into focus, she waited for the ceiling to stop spinning. Then a face flooded her vision, smiling apologetically. "Keety spill in Aisle Six," said Kurt, grasping her hand and helping her up. The other kids laughed, and he patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry, Kätzchen. The ball got away from me."  
  
Now dizzy from other reasons besides the impact of the ball, she shook her head. "It's okay," she replied, a wildfire of warmth spreading from his hand as it rested on her shoulder. "Look, Kurt... I'm the one who should be sorry. I've kind of, like, been snotty to you all day. I'm not mad at you or anything; it's basically my problem. Forgive me?"  
  
Kurt smiled warmly, and she nearly became a pile of goo. "Ja, of course," he assured her. "And if you didn't have a reason before, at least you do now."  
  
At that moment the teacher arrived, and Kurt's hand slipped from her shoulder. She mentally snapped her fingers. "All right, kids, sorry about the delay," said the teacher. "You know the drill, everyone. Ten minutes of stretching, then out to the track for some laps. We're gonna take full advantage of the weather and play some football today."  
  
The students cheered, and Kurt's voice was heard above the rest with a resounding "Woo-hoo!" Kitty grinned and rolled her eyes as they all went through their stretching routines. By the time she was done with her laps (Kitty was a pretty fast runner, but Pietro Maximoff still managed to pass her three times) she was grateful for the rest as the teams were picked.  
  
The teacher, as always, chose the team captains. "Okay, Paulson and uh... let's see," he said. "How about Wagner? You two split up the teams."  
  
Kurt immediately chose Evan, Kitty, and to her distaste, Pietro. As much as she couldn't stand the little weasel, though, it was a good idea to have him on their team. But Kurt didn't to have all the mutants on one side, because the other team wouldn't stand a chance. So he allowed the other captain to take Bobby and Remy.  
  
"Huddle!!!" Kurt yelled, making his teammates wince and cover their ears.  
  
They pressed in around him, and Pietro asked in his quick, irritating manner, "So what's the game plan, huh? We got any nice moves to play on these suckers? Huh, German boy?"  
  
Evan's eye began to twitch. "Shouldn't you be on Rydolin or something for your ADHD?" he muttered.  
  
The blonde boy glared at him, and Kurt quickly shushed them both. "Here's what we are going to do," he said quietly. "Zack has the first throw. He is going to pass it to Evan. All the attention will be on him, and by that time I will already be at the endzone for him to throw it to me." His teammates nodded their comprehension. "Everyone has to make sure Evan doesn't get tackled, okay? Perfect, let's go!"  
  
The huddle broke, and everyone took their positions on the field. All rested from the running they did on the track, they were ready to play. Zack Stewart gave a quick glance at Evan, and he nodded almost imperceptibly. The whistle blew, the ball fell neatly into Evan's hands, and Kurt was off like a shot.  
  
Kurt was more comfortable running on both his hands and feet, but when he had to run upright, he was shockingly fast. By the time Evan had thrown the ball, he was over halfway to the goal line. Kitty cheered him on along with the rest of the team, but suddenly she noticed one of the members of the other team running toward him.  
  
She elbowed Pietro, and the both of them took off after the boy who was threatening to mess up their perfect game plan. Several of their teammates also noticed and followed suit, which made the other team begin to pursue *them*. Before long half the players on the field were making their frenzied way toward Kurt.  
  
He was, however, oblivious to everything but the ball as it spiraled toward him through the air. He had already reached the endzone, and it was coming toward him. He was going to catch it. He was going to score their first touchdown. Holding out his hands, he shouted out, quite unnecessarily, "I got it!!"  
  
And then the ball was in his hands. He had scored a touchdown. But he was pretty sure it wasn't the impact of the ball that knocked the wind out of him. Falling onto his back, he felt the weight of one of the other team members, and then two. Pretty soon he was all but crushed under the combined volume of half a dozen people. Still, he held onto the ball tenaciously. At least he had scored.  
  
But he knew something was definitely wrong when a sneakered foot stepped on his left wrist, and he heard a crunch of breaking glass.  
  
Kitty winced as she watched Kurt being swiftly buried under a bunch of sweaty kids. That couldn't be any fun. Someone shouted "Dogpile!!" and the teacher started blowing his whistle. The players didn't immediately get to their feet, but without warning one of them let out a frightened scream. Kitty's eyes widened in surprise, and to her horror she saw a long blue tail snaking out from under the dogpile, lashing wildly.  
  
"Oh God," she whispered.  
  
The kids began scrambling to their feet in a blind panic, and Kitty saw what had frightened them so much. Lying on the trampled grass, groaning in pain, was Kurt. The *real* Kurt. He clutched the football with a furry blue hand, and as he tried to sit up, he hissed through his teeth, revealing a set of gleaming white fangs.  
  
"What is that!?" somebody shrieked.  
  
"I think it touched me!!"  
  
"Where's Kurt? What happened to Kurt?"  
  
"Eww, it's so gross!!"  
  
One by one, Kitty looked at all the other mutant children, and they all had the same expression of dread on their faces. Sooner or later - more likely sooner than later - they would figure out that the bizarre tailed creature holding the football *was* Kurt.  
  
Without regard to what the shocked human students would think, Kitty ran over to Kurt and knelt by his side. He was in pretty bad shape; his limbs were covered in cuts and scrapes, and he was favoring one arm gingerly, as if it was sprained. Taking a closer look, she saw what she had feared all along. His holographic image inducer had been crushed, and was broken.  
  
"Kurt," she said softly. "Are you okay? Can you get up?"  
  
She heard startled gasps from the students, and voices asking in disbelief, "That's *Kurt*!?" But she ignored them, and asked again: "Can you stand, Kurt?"  
  
Biting his bottom lip, he shook his head. "My knee," he said in a tight voice.  
  
Nodding, she waved her hand frantically at Evan. The boy was with them in an instant, but was unable to think of anything to say. Unfazed, Kitty hooked her arm around Kurt's right shoulder. "His knee's been hurt," she told Evan. "Help me get him to his feet, but be careful. I think his left wrist might be sprained, or even worse."  
  
Together they lifted the injured mutant to his feet. Deciding he had stood back long enough, the teacher stormed up to them, which was more than the students were able to do. "What is going on here?" he demanded.  
  
Kitty looked at Kurt, but his golden eyes were cast down toward the ground. Finally she sighed, knowing the truth was the only answer that would do. "Kurt is a mutant," she told him.  
  
The children immediately burst into appalled speech. "I knew it! Didn't I tell you?"  
  
"I always thought there was something weird about him!"  
  
"I thought he was just foreign!"  
  
"Kurt's a mutant? He's one of those *freaks*!?"  
  
Her hand clenching into a fist, Kitty felt rage burning up inside her. *If they only knew who were the real freaks here,* she thought furiously. "Kurt," she said quietly, trying not to lose her temper, "do you think you can 'port us out of here?"  
  
He nodded slowly. Curling his tail around her tightly, he held on to both her and Evan, and with a cloud of blue smoke, they were gone. The students gaped at the spot on the grass where they had been standing, and as one they all began shouting at once. The teacher tried ineffectually to calm them down. Bobby and Remy stared at each other, still trying to process what had happened, and Pietro just stared at the ground, shaking his head.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Nooooooo! Poor Kurt, WHY!?! Ahem. Sorry. Getting a little worked up over my own story, even though I know what happens. Leave a review, so I can be all happy and continue with the next chapter.  
  
Wakizashi  
  
tricksparrow@hotmail.com 


	3. Drei

A/N: Once again, thank you for all your reviews, especially RedLion! You're married, but you're not too proud to say you're too adult to love 'X-Men'. You rule! *high-fives you* You're an inspiration to our entire organization! And to anyone who was wondering, the title of the story is german (duh) for 'You Are Beautiful'. You'll see how that fits in later. And now, chapter three!  
  
Disclaimer: I claim ownership to nothing. If you have any complaints, take your beef up with Marvel.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sie Sind Schön  
  
an 'X-Men: Evolution' fanfiction  
  
by Wakizashi  
  
Chapter Three  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
So that was where they stood. Kurt, Kitty, and Evan had left early, with the entire high school in an uproar about the idea of a furry blue mutant among them who could appear and disappear in a puff of smoke. One of the teachers had contacted all of the local news stations, and now the name Kurt Wagner was all over the media. Everyone at the mansion was hoping it would all blow over eventually, but no one was honestly expecting it to happen.  
  
Kitty knew it wasn't anyone's fault that it had happened. It was just an accident; no one could have prevented it, because no one had seen it coming. It was too late to be worrying about what-ifs. It was Kurt she was worried about.  
  
Since the incident on the football field, Kurt was immediately sent to the mansion's doctor. Dr. Hank McCoy had treated him for a hairline fracture in his wrist and a hyper-extended tendon in his right knee. After he was given a plaster cast and an elastic bandage, he was assigned a room to himself and ordered to get plenty of rest. Since it took considerable exertion to teleport, he was advised to avoid doing so until he was fully healed.  
  
Which basically left Kurt stranded in his room.  
  
Everyone at the mansion, including the X-Men, had signed his cast until there wasn't a square inch of room left that was not covered with words of love and encouragement. After what had happened, they knew he needed to be assured that they were in it with him.  
  
He welcomed their visits, as always, with a sweet smile, but to Kitty it seemed full of sorrow. His secret was out, and he could no longer go to school as just another student. They all knew he was a mutant, and they would never look at him the same way again.  
  
The next day most of the children who lived at the mansion were conspicuously absent from school, and the ones who did attend did not join in the mindless gossip and speculation that the rest of the school was absorbed in. Kurt's closest friends stayed home with him, he meant more to them than the consequences of skipping class.  
  
After a while Kurt requested them to stop checking in on him, which worried Kitty half out of her mind. If he was rejecting the company of his friends, that meant he was depressed. It had taken a major catastrophe, but something had finally succeeded in getting him down. That was a bad sign in Kitty's eyes.  
  
"Rogue," she said to her roommate, who was lying on her bed reading a magazine. It was almost ten o'clock at night and they had heard nothing about their injured friend. "Do you think Kurt will ever get over this?"  
  
Rogue rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow, brushing her white-streaked hair out of her face. "Ah honestly don't know," she replied. "Ah mean, it takes a whole lot ta get Fuzzy down, but this was a pretty danged big deal. He's not gonna shrug it off like he does everything else."  
  
Kitty sighed, knowing Rogue was right. "I know," she said, "but I'm still worried." Standing up in determination, she knew what she had to do. "I'm going to go see him."  
  
"Whoa, hang on there, Kitty," Rogue protested. "Ya know he told everybody ta stop buggin' him. He's just gonna be ticked that ya didn't listen."  
  
"Maybe he will. But he shouldn't be all alone right now, all like, stewing in his own misery. It's not good for him." She shoved her feet into her sandals. "You know he'd do the same for any of us." Rogue shrugged in defeat, too lazy to argue, and Kitty held her breath and phased through the door.  
  
She hoped she wasn't making a mistake by intruding on her friend's privacy, and she knew it wasn't too late to go back. But what she had told Rogue was true; if any of them were feeling down, Kurt would be right there trying to make them feel better, whether they wanted him to or not. Walking down the hall to the door at the very end, she took a deep breath. Steeling herself, she lifted her hand and knocked.  
  
"Kurt?" she said hesitantly. "It's me. Can I come in?"  
  
There was a short silence, and then a soft, sad little voice answered: "No thank you."  
  
Kitty frowned, hoping she wouldn't have to use her last resort. "Please? I really want to talk to you."  
  
The voice was stronger this time. "Verschwinden."  
  
"What?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Go away, Keety."  
  
She felt a brief wave of annoyance, but it quickly faded. *All right,* she thought to herself as she held her breath. *He asked for it.* She passed her hand silently through the wooden door, and followed it with the rest of her body. Once on the other side, she looked around. All the lamps were switched off, and the only light in the room came from the moon as it glowed outside the window. There was a plate of food on the bedside table, but it appeared to be untouched. Kitty knew something was wrong if Kurt wasn't eating.  
  
Somehow Kurt had gotten out of his bed, and he sat curled up on the wide windowsill, staring outside. Kitty cleared her throat, but he didn't turn to face her. "Hey, Fuzzy," she said quietly. "You holding up okay?"  
  
He gave a little nod, his gaze still fixed outside the window. "Ja," he answered. "Ja, I am..." His voice broke, and he finally turned his head to look at her. His yellow eyes, faintly luminous in the darkness, were brimming with tears. "Nein, I am not okay," he choked out. "They called me a freak, Keety."  
  
Kitty's heart wrenched at the sight of his tears. She quickly crossed the room and sat beside him on the windowsill, gathering him into her arms. He collapsed instantly into her embrace, sobbing against her neck. His furry cheek was hot and damp.  
  
"Oh, Kurt," she whispered, squeezing him tightly. "I'm so sorry all this has happened."  
  
He sniffed. "Don't be sorry, Kätzchen. It was my fault. If I hadn't decided that I would be the one to score that first touchdown..." He gave a hiccup. "I was just being selfish."  
  
"Don't say that," she said fiercely. "You are by *far* the least selfish person I know. It was just an accident. Nobody could have seen it coming."  
  
His head sunk down to rest on her shoulder, and she just stroked his luxuriant dark hair. Having expended all his tears, he sighed. "Kätzchen," he murmured into her ear, causing her heart to leap into her throat. "Do you think... that there will ever be a day when people will see each other for who they are inside?"  
  
Kurt's question brought tears to her own eyes, and she blinked them quickly away. "I hope so, Kurt," she said softly. "But people have never been very good at, like, accepting outward appearances." She felt him nod slightly, and she placed her hands on both of his shoulders, compelling him to look at her. "All I know is, if they don't accept you, Kurt, they're missing out on something beautiful."  
  
He smiled, and at that moment she saw it was true. He *was* beautiful.  
  
Slowly, she reached up and placed her hand on his warm, velvety cheek. He closed his golden eyes, leaning into her touch, and deep in his chest she could hear a rumbling purr, like that of a content jungle cat. His disobedient tail snaked leisurely around her waist, but this time neither of them minded. Kitty felt her head lean closer to his, and before she could stop herself, she brushed her lips lightly against his.  
  
Kurt's eyes snapped open, and a fraction of a second slid by as they stared at each other. Then he closed the gap between them and kissed her deeply.  
  
Her mind spun as he pulled her closer, his fingers teasing the delicate hairs at the back of her neck. She was not expecting him to be so fiery and passionate, and was certainly not prepared for such a perfect, heavenly kiss. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she kissed him back, running her hand down the length of his tail.  
  
Suddenly she winced in pain, and Kurt pulled away, concern etched on his features. She tasted blood in her mouth, and immediately she realized that one of his sharp fangs had cut her lip. Pressing her finger against the cut, she took it away to see a small streak of red.  
  
Kurt's eyes widened in mortification. "I'm sorry, Keety," he said, backing away from her.  
  
She knew what he was about to do, and she tried her best to keep him from doing it. "No, Kurt, it's okay," she protested. "It's not bad, it's only a scratch."  
  
"Forgive me," he whispered, humiliated.  
  
"Kurt, please! I'm okay, Kurt, wait!" But it was too late. With a 'bamf' and a puff of smoke, he left her on the windowsill, her heart pounding from the kiss. And she had no idea where he had gone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Sorry it was short. I warned you. I also apologize for the sort-of cliffhanger. But don't worry, Kurt's okay! He's always okay. But of course, I won't keep you waiting for long. Review, is all I ask! It's what I thrive on! So if you'll excuse me, I have even more writing to do.  
  
Wakizashi  
  
tricksparrow@hotmail.com 


	4. Vier

A/N: Here's chapter four, already finished! *dramatic fanfare* I know you were all eagerly awaiting it. Hahah, who am I kidding? Anyway, once again, short chapter. Dreadfully sorry, but at least you didn't have to wait very long. Thank you for all the reviews, by the way. SO MANY!! And it seems I'm pulling in quite a few married readers, as well. The more the merrier, I say, so read on, mein freunde!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, or any other mutants in this story. Would if I could, but I can't.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sie Sind Schön  
  
an 'X-Men: Evolution' fanfiction  
  
by Wakizashi  
  
Chapter Four  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Professor!!"  
  
Charles Xavier looked up from the book in his lap to see Kitty Pryde standing in the closed doorway she had just phased through. His eyebrows arched in surprise, and he set the book down on the desk next to him. "Yes, Kitty? What's the matter?"  
  
"Kurt," she said, but it was more of a gasp after all the running and searching she had done. She had gone to every room, and asked everyone she could find, but no one had seen Kurt or had any idea where he was. Evan had looked at her like she was insane, but Ororo had told Kitty to ask the professor. "Where is Kurt?"  
  
Professor Xavier came forward in his motorized wheelchair, stopping when he was within a few feet of the panicked girl. "Try to calm down, Kitty, while I locate him," he told her soothingly. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on Kurt's position. "He's on the roof of the mansion," he said. She turned to run, but Xavier stopped her. "Wait a moment, Kitty."  
  
She stopped, her hands falling limply to her side. Standing obediently, she watched as Xavier took in her ruffled hair, her bleeding lip. She could almost feel him probing her mind. "I- I made a mistake," she explained miserably.  
  
"I see," he was all he said in return. Kitty hung her head, and she heard a motorized whirr as the wheelchair moved closer. Lightly, Xavier put his hand on her shoulder, and she raised her eyes to his. "I know how much Kurt means to you," he said softly. "But he has had to go through quite a lot during these last couple of days. Perhaps one day people will accept him for who he is, and perhaps not. We can only hope for the best, and assure him that no matter what happens, he won't be alone."  
  
Kitty nodded silently. She knew that kissing Kurt had been the wrong thing to do; that he already had enough on his mind to begin with. She sighed at her own stupidity, and Xavier gave her shoulder a squeeze. "And now," he said, smiling, "I believe young Kurt could do with some company."  
  
She grinned, swallowing a lump in her throat. The professor was just way too cool. She turned to phase through the door again, then thought better of it and gave him a tight hug. "Thank you, Professor." As she left, she could hear him chuckling to himself.  
  
To the other residents of the mansion, she was a pink and brown blur as she dashed through the halls in search of Jean Grey. Rounding a corner, she collided with Logan and would have sent them both sprawling if he hadn't been anything less than a wall of pure muscle. Running into him nearly knocked the wind out of her.  
  
"Slow down, half-pint," he told her as she regained her balance. "Where's the fire?"  
  
Ignoring his question, she asked, "Have you seen Jean?"  
  
He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and thought for a moment. "Jean... Yeah, I think I saw her in the game room with that mutant punching bag Cyclops." He frowned. "You wanna tell me what this is all about?"  
  
She groaned in annoyance. "Maybe later," she replied, running past him down the stairs. When she reached the game room, she immediately spotted the red-haired young woman, playing air hockey with Scott Summers. "Jean!" she called.  
  
The telekinetic turned toward her, allowing Scott to score a point. "Kitty? What's wrong?"  
  
"I need you to lift me up onto the roof," she said breathlessly.  
  
Scott and Jean stared at each other, then slowly focused their gaze on Kitty. "The roof?" Jean repeated. "What do you need to go on the roof for?"  
  
"Kurt's up there."  
  
Even with his red-tinted shades on, Scott looked confused. "Kurt? But I though Hank told him not to teleport anymore until his wrist and knee were better."  
  
Kitty was getting sick of all this pointless questioning. "Well, obviously he has ignored his doctor's advice, because that's where he is now. And I *really* need to talk to him. Please, Jean?" She grabbed her hand briefly, and Jean blinked as she became aware of what had happened between her and the teleporter. Slowly, she nodded.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Humming listlessly to himself, Kurt sat and stared up at the night sky, relying on his long, muscular tail for balance. He wondered if there was at least one planet orbiting one of those thousands of stars above him that was inhabited by an intelligent species. Maybe even one that was filled with people who looked exactly like him. If there was, they probably thought the idea of a tailless creature with no fur was too strange to imagine.  
  
He couldn't believe Kitty had kissed him. Had *wanted* to kiss him. It was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced; the feel of her sweet lips on his. He had always felt an attraction to her, but with that one kiss, she had infected him with some kind of delicious disease, and the only thing that would cure him was to have more.  
  
He was beginning to suspect it was love.  
  
But he had blown it. He had ruined it all, with his stupid razor-sharp fangs, and now Kitty would never want to see him again. He didn't deserve to have her as a friend, and certainly not as anything more. How could he expect her to deal with the way he looked, even if she *was* more understanding than the rest of humankind?  
  
He looked down at the cast on his arm, where Kitty had signed it. It read:  
  
Get well soon! We're all eating your share of the food!  
  
-Kitty  
  
"Mein Gott," he muttered, burying his face in his tridactyl hands. "I'm such an idiot."  
  
"Talking to yourself again?" asked a voice behind him. He twisted around, startled, to see Kitty walking along the eaves of the rooftop, making her way toward him. He tried to remain calm, but his tail betrayed his countenance by whipping back and forth in pleasure. Kitty grinned as she sat down next to him.  
  
"Your tail seems happy to see me," she observed airily.  
  
He sighed wistfully, unable to hide his relief that she wasn't angry with him. "My tail isn't the only one," he replied, looking into her faded-denim blue eyes. Swallowing, he asked, "You are not upset with me?"  
  
She shook her head quickly. "No, of course I'm not," she answered, and in fact, she reached out for his uninjured hand. Hesitantly, he placed it in hers, and she closed her fingers around it. "I'm sorry I made everything so, like, complicated or whatever," she said quietly. "I know me sucking your face off wasn't exactly what you needed, what with all that has happened." With a small smile, she reached up with her other hand and brushed his hair behind his pointed ear. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment, against his will. "But I wanted you to know you don't have to deal with this alone," she finished softly.  
  
"Kätzchen," he whispered, his lips barely moving.  
  
The soft smile still on her face, she pulled a black marker out of the pocket of her white capris. Gently pulling his left arm toward her, she uncapped the marker and set to work on the white plaster of the cast. Confused, he watched until she had finished scribbling out the message she had written. She found an empty section of plaster, and wrote:  
  
Fuzzy-  
  
Next Friday. Burger joint on 4th St. Be there.  
  
-Love, your Kätzchen  
  
His cheeks flushed as he read the message, and she capped the marker with an amused grin. "You... you are asking me on a date?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
"You bet I am," she replied matter-of-factly. "And you better not stand me up, Kurt Wagner, or I'll make your life a living hell. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're my bud."  
  
Kurt smiled, pulling her close with his tail. "I don't think you will have to worry about that," he murmured into her ear, breathing in the scent of her hair. "...Mein Kätzchen."  
  
Her eyes slid shut in anticipation, and he had no intention of making her wait. Sliding his right hand around Kitty's upper back, he put his mouth to hers. His heart began pounding as he felt her small hand trail down his neck to rest on his chest, but he remembered to be gentle with her. Nipping her lower lip delicately, he smiled against her mouth as he heard her gasp softly.  
  
Pulling away just enough to meet his eyes, she stared at him in amazement. "I can see *why* chicks dig the fuzzy dude," she said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Not over not over not over!!! *wipes forehead* Whew! Now that I've gotten your attention, I thought I'd inform you that there's one more chapter left. Oh, and by the way, the Professor Xavier in my story is based more on Patrick Stewart's portrayal in the movies more than his character in 'X-Men: Evolution'. I like him better in the movies. For some reason he seems like... the teacher we all wish we had. Anyway, review please!  
  
Wakizashi  
  
tricksparrow@hotmail.com 


	5. Fünf

A/N: Last chapter!! And I'm sad that it's over. I hope you've enjoyed it so far, and as always, I'm grateful for everyone's reviews. You people! You're awesome, and I'm not just saying that. I wouldn't post stories if nobody reviewed them. And also, terribly sorry about the extremely long delay. If you can believe it, I had to write this chapter like, three times, because our computer kept CRASHING! So yeah, dreadful sorry about that. And now, chapter five!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Kurt Wagner, no matter how much I wish I did, the cute little fuzzy elf.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Sie Sind Schön  
  
an 'X-Men: Evolution' fanfiction  
  
by Wakizashi  
  
Chapter Five  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next Monday the front doors of Bayville High School were pushed open, and Kitty Pryde and Evan Daniels walked into the crowded hallway. Between them came a furry blue creature walking with a slight limp, his long tail thrashing about anxiously. He wore a cast on one arm, covered with messages from his friends. Taking a deep breath, he looked at his companions, and they nodded their encouragement.  
  
Kurt cleared his throat. "Excuse me," he said.  
  
The other students turned toward his entrance, and immediately the entire hallway was in an uproar. Apparently they had assumed that after the mutant's appearance the week before, he had been discouraged from returning. Children began running aimlessly in panic, colliding into each other, and one of the teachers dropped her coffee mug with an explosion of white ceramic.  
  
"I have something I would like to say," announced Kurt, raising his voice over the din. He shook his head and turned to Kitty. "It's no use, Kätzchen," he said sadly. "They aren't going to listen to me."  
  
She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Just keep trying."  
  
With a sigh, he tried again. "Please! Please, just let me say this one thing!"  
  
This time the students heard his plea. Keeping a safe distance from him, they stood in groups for protection and stared at him with a horrified fixation. Kitty wanted to plant her shoe in their faces for being so pathetically ignorant, but she remained by Kurt's side with Evan, silently encouraging him by their presence.  
  
With another deep breath, Kurt began. "When I first came to America, I was hated and feared because of the way I look. It was not until a certain wealthy benefactor was kind enough to design this for me--" At that moment he lifted up his right arm and pressed a button on his newly repaired image inducer. To the students' astonishment, his image flickered briefly, and he became the pale-skinned, brown-eyed Kurt they knew before. "--that I was finally able to live among other people without fear of being rejected."  
  
One of the science teachers stared at the image inducer in amazement. "That's an interesting little piece of technology," he remarked.  
  
"I was so happy that I could finally live a normal life," he continued, a faint smile on his face. It slowly faded as he turned off his holographic image again, returning to his true self. "But I should have known it wouldn't last."  
  
Kitty's eyes welled up with tears, but she remained silent.  
  
"I don't really blame you for reacting the way you did when you saw me. I've gotten used to it long ago." He paused for a moment in thought. "It occurs to me that in this country, little less than a century ago, African-Americans were segregated and treated like lower life forms because of the color of their skin. But you do not hate and fear Evan because he is black, do you?" He didn't need an answer; the students knew what he was getting at. "No, of course not. Because you realize that he is no different from you."  
  
Some of the students looked down at their feet, ashamed. Others continued to stare at Kurt, but with interest now instead of horror. Kitty felt her heart swell with pride. He really was a beautiful person.  
  
"I am not a freak," he declared, his chin lifting almost imperceptibly. "I am just... another race of humanity."  
  
Absolute, total silence followed. It was so quiet in the hallway that Kitty could hear the clock on the wall ticking. Someone's shoe squeaked on the floor, and it sounded like tires screeching on asphalt. Slowly, she took Kurt's hand in hers and broke the silence.  
  
"I'm so proud of you," she whispered.  
  
Kurt gave her one of his trademark dazzling smiles. "Danke."  
  
"Bitte schön," she replied, and he blinked in surprise.  
  
Hesitantly, one of the students raised his hand. Kurt and Kitty looked at each other, their eyebrows raised, and Kurt pointed at the boy. "You have a question?"  
  
"Yeah, uh..." The student shifted his weight from one foot to the other, nervously. "Is it true that you can, like, appear and disappear?"  
  
Kitty covered her mouth to hide a grin, and Kurt nodded. "Ja- um, yes, that is true. But I like to call it 'teleporting'." As a demonstration, he disappeared from his place between Kitty and Evan in a puff of smoke, causing them to cough. Instantly he reappeared a few feet away, and the students and teachers gasped in amazement. With another 'bamf', he returned to Kitty's side.  
  
Another hand was thrust into the air. "So what's up with your tail?" asked one girl.  
  
"Yes, that is one point I'm curious about," the science teacher added. "Is it prehensile, or is it like a cat's?"  
  
Kurt blinked at the question, and Kitty gave him a look that would have translated as 'Well?' "I suppose it is prehensile," he replied, "because it acts like another hand. I can use it to grab things--" Here he wrapped the long appendage around Kitty's waist and pulled her closer. Her cheeks reddened, and the hall was filled with ripples of laughter. "And it can also support my weight."  
  
"So you can hang from stuff?" someone asked.  
  
Kurt nodded.  
  
"Bet it makes you popular with the ladies!" another student crowed. There was more laughter, and Kurt buried his face in Kitty's shoulder, embarrassed. She grinned and patted his head, and as hallway became filled with questioning voices, eager to know more about the Incredible Nightcrawler, she couldn't help but be amazed.  
  
Maybe humans weren't so bad after all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Four days later, at the corner of Fourth Street and Hemlock, Kurt sat in a window booth at Bruno's Burgers, staring across the table at Kitty as they waited for their food to be brought to them. He couldn't take his eyes off her. She knew she was pretty, but he didn't think she realized what an absolute knock-out she was.  
  
She had been so wonderful through all that he had gone through. No; all *they* had gone through. She had assured him that he wouldn't have to deal with his troubles alone, and she had been right. It felt extremely strange to be cared about that much, especially by a girl.  
  
And she was crazy about him! What was up with that? She was always saying things like, "Kurt, your tail is just the cutest!" or "Kurt, you have *such* gorgeous eyes!" or "Jeez, Kurt, could you be any sexier than you are right now?"  
  
That last one really floored him.  
  
Slowly he became aware that Kitty was staring back at him, as if expecting him to say something. "What's the matter, Fuzzy? Spacing out again?" she asked, smiling in amusement.  
  
Kurt grinned sheepishly. "Nein, I was just lost in your eyes, mein liebchen," he replied, resting his chin in his hands and heaving a wistful sigh.  
  
"You're such a dork," she said, rolling her eyes but suppressing a laugh. He knew she liked all that mushy junk. He had to admit, so did he.  
  
He also couldn't help but notice that almost every eye in the restaurant was on him. His image inducer, at Kitty's request, was turned off, and the other customers had no choice but to take in his true, fuzzy blue self. He was trying his best to act oblivious, like he didn't know everyone was staring at him, but it was pretty hard acting.  
  
*Don't think about them,* Kurt told himself, spinning the salt shaker around to keep from fidgeting. *Just focus on why you're here. Focus on Kitty.*  
  
Now that was something he could do.  
  
"Kätzchen?" he said quietly.  
  
Her light blue eyes met his yellow ones. "Yeah?" she replied in the same serious tone. For some reason she was really good at sensing his different moods.  
  
He cleared his throat. "I uh..." he began hesitantly. "I just wanted to say that I am very grateful for your support these past few days. I don't know how I could have managed without you, Keety."  
  
"Oh, Kurt, it's no problem," she said with a sweet smile. She reached across the table and took his furry, three-fingered hand. "I know you would totally do the same for me. It's not a big deal."  
  
"Ja, it *is* a big deal, Keety," he protested. "You have always been there for me. Not just lately, after what happened at school, but ever since we became friends." He swallowed, suddenly very nervous. "I've been thinking about it a lot, and I want to tell you - I want you to know - that I... I..." He took a deep breath and wiped his forehead. "Gott, why is it so hot in here?" he said, frustrated with himself.  
  
"Kurt?" Kitty asked, in a very soft voice.  
  
He groaned irritably. "Vas?"  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
Looking up at her with wide eyes, he saw her grin. "Or maybe I should say, Ich lieb dich?" she asked, lifting up his hand and kissing his knuckles.  
  
A slow, astonished grin spread over his face, and he shook his head, half in adoration and half disbelief. "You never cease to confuse me, Kätzchen," he said.  
  
"Actually, it's 'you never cease to *amaze* me', Kurt," she corrected him.  
  
His tail slid under the table, and Kitty blushed as it coiled around her leg. Proud that, for once, it was doing exactly what he wanted it to, he raised a seductive eyebrow at her. "I know what I said."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: Ahhhhhhh, the end. Finally. I know it was awfully short, but I kind of like it the way it is. But more importantly, did you like it? The whole story, I mean. If you didn't, blame it on my inexperience with 'X-Men' fanfictions. And if anyone was wondering where Kurt's accent was, it was there. I just think the dialogue looks better without all the W and TH replacements. So just try to imagine the accent in your head. I must go rest my fingers now, but I would appreciate any and all reviews. Danke!  
  
Wakizashi  
  
tricksparrow@hotmail.com 


End file.
